review | Costume for Princess In Training

Remember our royal tea party? Well, there was another princess (besides Kate) that day.

Caroline totally hammed it up in her new Cinderella Toddler Costume. The blue satin was so pretty. But she loved the extras that came with the outfit: sparkly tiara, long white gloves and a blue ribbon necklace.

The outfit was easy for her to step into (very important for dress up), and she could pull on the gloves and fasten the velcro necklace on her own. And I loved that the outfit was blue (not pink).

The tiara stayed on long enough to get a picture with Princess Gigi.

Now I have to get the Cinderella shoes to complete the ensemble!

The costume was provided from Costume Discounters, which has tons of great toddler Halloween costumes - especially if you are looking for a Disney Princess costumes. Free shipping both ways makes it easy to get the right size. And I have a feeling that someone is going to want to want the Tinkerbell outfit for Halloween this year.

What costumes have your kids loved? Or do you make your own?

wear | 5 Fashion Must-Haves for Kids

I asked Brandy, who writes Baby Blackbird, one of the coolest blogs for kids' fashion, to share her must-haves for spring & summer. I admit we rock the "hand me down" style more often than not, but her picks definitely inspire me to get more creative. Thank you Brandy!

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Hi there, I'm Brandy from Baby Blackbird | The Kids's Fashion Destination, I'm a fashion designer by trait and a mommy to two little kids. Baby Blackbird covers all things fashionable for kids, fashion trends, kids' street style, and so much more...come by some time and have a look around!

5 SPRING/SUMMER MUST HAVES for KIDS

I wanted to share with you 5 major must haves for your kiddos this Spring/Summer, with a heavy emphasis on boy's items. Since this is Henry Happened, not Henrietta Happened. :)

The Summer Shoe

1. Native Shoes : A super cool sneaker that is almost a sandal. Move over Crocs, a much cooler shoe is here!

2. Toms : You just can't go wrong with a pair of Toms, super comfy, versatile and cute. And every pair you buy, a pair is given to a child in need.

Colored Bottoms

Color is HUGE this Spring/Summer, for us the colored bottom trend is back (but better then ever). For our kids its’ hot fresh and new. Either way it’s super fun!

1. Zara boys red shorts 2. Zara girls ink pant 3. Crew Cuts boys aqua short 4. Crew Cuts girls pink short 5. IKKS boys red pant

Straw Hats

A summer hat is a necessity, to shade those cute faces from the sun. Straw hats are the hot thing for both boys and girls.

1. Crew Cuts boys straw trilby 2. The Gap girls straw floppy hat 3. The Gap boys straw fedora 4. 77kids girls straw fedora

Denim Shirt or Shirtdress

All you need to do is flip their little outfit, denim on top color on the bottom (the easiest way to wear the denim shirt). Or go all denim, just make sure the pants are a dark denim if the top is light, matching is sorta a not have.

1. IKKS boys denim shirt 2. Zara girls denim shirt dress 3. Zara boys denim shirt

Overalls and Suspenders

Overalls are pretty much a staple for kids, this spring there are so many new options, all with a modern twist. A pair of suspenders on any pair of shorts or pants adds a little geek chic.

1. Zara Shortalls 2. Witchery braces 3. The Gap dressall 4. Zara shorts with suspenders

Cargo Short

Comfy cool, and super hip this spring/summer. Which is great as I'm sure every little boy has at least one pair of cargos already!

1. IKKS boys cargo pant 2. Witchery girls cargo pant 3. 77kids boys cargo capri 4. Zara boys cargo short

Nautical Everything!

Jump on the ship and grab your little one something made for sailing.

1. Zara sailor stripe tee 2. Crew Cuts windbreaker 3. Crew Cuts sailor stripe flats 4. Zara sailor stripe dress

Were you counting the must haves? Yes, there were 7 not 5 like I promised. There are too many great items for kids' this season it was way too hard to cut it down to 5! Happy Spring shopping!!

And come by Baby Blackbird some time, check out some cute kids's street style and The hottest kids fashion trends.

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Thank you Brandy for the awesome picks! Of course we're all over the stripe trend, and I can't wait to put Henry in some overalls! Go visit Baby Blackbird!

P.S. Don't forget to enter our mabo children's clothing giveaway!

wear | $40 Mabo Children's Clothing GIVEAWAY

I fell in love with children's clothing line mabo via my stylish friend Amanda, who held a trunk show at her home. The clothes are so beautifully made but look amazingly comfortable and wearable in natural cotton and linen fabrics.

I think I need this swimsuit and these bloomers for Caroline and this adorable romper for Henry. And this floral set is now my go-to baby shower gifts.

After buying a gorgeously simple linen dress and super soft lounge pants, I had to find out more about the mom who started the line from home. Creator and designer Emily McMaster agreed to answer a few questions and give a $40 gift certificate to her online store!!

How did mabo start?

I worked in film until my first daughter, Ruby, was one, and never thought I'd do anything else - I have a masters in cinema studies and thought I'd always do film or academia. But when Ruby was born, it was just too much and I quit to be with her more. I've never been into fashion, but have always loved to sew and knit and found myself becoming obsessed with making clothing for her. When I started spending money on babysitters so I could get extra time to design kids' clothes, I decided it might be time to go for it and start a line.

What inspired your spring/summer collection?

In terms of inspiration for the spring line (and in general, I suppose), my mom saved a lot of my special childhood clothing (much of it handmade) in a cedar chest. We'd periodically go through it and talk about how old I was and what was happening when I wore certain items - many of which my kids are now wearing!

So I think I had a sentimentality in dressing my girls that has inspired my line. Clothing that is special and timeless enough to be worth saving for my kids' kids to wear, but not so fussy or precious that it can't be worn to everyday activities. My girls are very into the girly-girl thing right now, which I'm not a huge fan of, so the spring line is also inspired by my desire to create simple but feminine dresses and items that both of us could be happy with. 

I also liked the idea of incorporating some simple gender-neutral items since I often end up shopping in the boys section for my girls basics and I know a lot of moms to boys that complain about not having as much fun dressing their boys.

You can't wait for your kids to wear: Swimsuits and sandals!! Right now we're all just desperate to get outside and basically wear nothing. 

Last kid clothing item you purchased: A nightgown for my daughter, which ended up being the quest of my life! She wanted one desperately after years of pj's, but I found it so hard to find an affordable classic one that wasn't made of polyester. I'm more excited about the next item I'm going to buy - this cherry dress from bobo choses!

Describe your mom style: My mom style is basically nonexistent at the moment! Ponytail, jeans, a sweater and my ratty bensimons every day. I'm lucky to fit a shower in, so often I wonder why I'm spending so much time thinking about how to dress kids and so little on myself!

Thank you Emily! Now you have a chance to win a $40 gift certificate to the mabo online store!

MANDATORY ENTRY

Please visit mabo and tell me which item in the spring/summer collection is your favorite 

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES

1. Sign up for the mabo email newsletter

2. Follow henry happened via RSS or Google Friend Connect

3. "Like" henry happened on Facebook or follow on Twitter.

4. Tweet, blog or Facebook about this giveaway

* Contest will be open until Midnight EST on Thursday, May 12. Contest winner must have a US or Canadian mailing address.

* The winner will be randomly selected from random.org and announced on Friday, May 13. Please check back to see if you won, or leave your email address with comment.

Happy Weekend! Getting your kids in the kitchen...

Caroline has been very excited about all of the cooking going on this week. No surprise, like the rest of the Gerbers, she loves to eat (olives, cheese and pretzels above all else). But she also loves to stand on her chair and ask, "Mommy, can I help?" She even woke up last Saturday asking, "Is it Pancake Day?"

It makes me happy that she wants to help (I never did as a kid) but I've struggled to figure out how to keep her involved - and safe - in the kitchen. Plus her attention span is like a gnat so she usually abandons me in the middle of decorating cookies.

A few of the ways she "helps":

• Cracking eggs
• Dropping blueberries into the pancakes
• Mixing homemade granola with her hands
• Spreading mayo or peanut butter onto a sandwich
• Shaking sprinkles onto cookies
• Making bread (aka pouring ingredients in the breadmaker)
  
• Getting out a cup, plate and utensils from her own drawer at her level
• Unloading the dishwasher (she loves to find her Tinkerbell plate)
• Picking up the cloth napkins after dinner (when I remind her) 

I recently found a great resource for kid-appropriate kitchen skills and recipes on the Williams-Sonoma website:

Preschoolers (Ages 2 to 5)
As their motor skills develop, preschoolers can begin to learn basic concepts that they will need in the kitchen. Keep in mind that their attention spans are short, so small tasks are usually best, particularly those that do not call for actual prep work. They can help assemble sandwiches, layer lasagna, top a pizza, or sprinkle decorations on cupcakes or cookies. 

Other suggested tasks include:

• Stirring batter in a bowl. A large bowl with a nonskid base will be sturdier for beginners, and a spoon with a thick handle will be easier for small hands to grip.
• Rinsing and straining fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Mixing and kneading pizza or other yeast dough. Keep work surfaces and hands well floured to avoid sticking.
• Pouring liquid ingredients.
• Spreading peanut butter and jelly on bread.
• Mashing potatoes and other cooked vegetables.
• Rolling bread or pie dough.
• Using cookie and biscuit cutters.
• Whisking pancake batter.
• Cutting soft fruits and vegetables with a dull butter knife or plastic knife.
• Measuring liquid and dry ingredients.

Looking for ideas for older kids? You can read more here.

Do your kids like to cook? How do they help you in the kitchen?

Kid Picks from a Stylish Mom

My first guest post is brought to you by a very talented (two master's degrees!) and very stylish mother of two. Amanda has two of the cutest - and well-dressed - girls I know. She is always in the know about what's new & hip so I asked her to give us a peek at what she's buying - or dreaming of anyway!

 

This is an outfit inspired by Simone. She is my five-year-old daughter who loves cats.  Alas, most of it is out of my reach so I will try and make it happen with pants we already own, a striped shirt (perhaps I will transfer cat image onto it), some worn out sneakers, and I think I may buy the scarf (I know the owner of mabo - she is an extremely talented mother two).

Shirt:    Little Paul & Joe
Scarf:   mabo
Pants:   j.crew
Shoes:  Minnetonka

List :: School Run Tunes

Caroline demands (yes, demands) to hear her songs in the car each morning (ok, pretty much anytime we are anywhere near a car). Desperate after the 847th repeat of Itsy Bitsy Spider we started to look for alternatives. 

And now I am sick of each one of them too. 

I can no longer enjoy The Black Eyed Peas I Gotta Feeling after a period of heavy rotation. Caroline, however, does now say "Mazel Tov!" on cue.

I've tried various strategies to share the air time. "Mommy's turn" for the radio was short lived.

You can have a little songs. And then I can have a lot.

Here is a list of Caroline's favorites (not mine):

1. Classic Nursery Rhymes :: Where the madness began

2. The Johnny Cash Children's Album ::  I never thought I'd hear my 3 year old say, "I want Johnny Cash!" Ring of Fire is also a frequent request.

3. Music Together Family Favorites :: Allee Galloo is new & exciting for Caroline each and every time.

4. You Are My Little Bird by Elizabeth Mitchell :: Why can't all kids' music be like this? Thanks to Elizabeth for sharing it with us - unfortunately we must now endure it at every meal as well.

5. The E.N.D. by The Black Eyed Peas :: If only we could hear the rest of the album....

6. House Party by Dan Zanes :: Trying to get into this one; may take a while.

One more I wanted to share. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes is a great book & song combo. Loving it again now that I haven't heard it in a while.

Anyone out their have a solution? I'd love to hear from parents who outwitted the back seat DJ! 

If you caved (like me) what music do you listen to?

GOOP SNOOP . . . Kids Clothes

Great minds think alike, right? While I'm working on a post about kids clothes for spring, this week's GOOP is all about kids clothes. This kimono dress from Deluna Kids is my favorite.

GP's budget is bit beyond mine but I do appreciate finding unique, well made clothes that aren't covered in Disney characters or only sold in pink & blue.

More to come on fun spring options for kids soon... but in the meantime Old Navy is having a sale on kids & baby items!

Thinking of spring...

It's 60 degrees today so I'm ready to ditch the coats and bust out the sandals!

Saw this stripey tunic on Say Yes! to Hoboken and had to have it. I do love me some b&w stripes.

And wouldn't this be the cutest on Caroline? Find it here on Etsy. Post coming soon on cute (and affordable) summer kids clothes.

What to get? . . . First Birthday Ideas

1. Custom name print 2. Helium balloon 3. Henry's own book 4. Curious George and Richard Scarry magnets 5. Little Bear book  6. Personalized chair

Henry's first birthday is in a week and a half (can't believe it!) and I'm struggling to decide on the perfect gift. Still overwhelmed from Christmas, I cannot imagine more toys. 

I remember Caroline loving the mylar Dora balloon her wonderful Auntie Sus got her - it totally got C out of the post-nap funk and into the party spirit! Such a fun, simple gift.

Love the cute-as-a-button magnets from my super talented babysitter. (I'll just have to make sure Henry does not eat them.) Check out her two Etsy shops, Parsnip and Pear and Poppy and Pinecone.

Anyone else have other good first birthday ideas?

henry happened . . .

If you've wondered about my blog title, this might help explain.

CRASH!

Me running, "What happened?!"

"Henry," says Caroline.

 That's my little man, on a mission of destruction in the bathroom, taking out the sink and anything else in his path on the way to the cat's food & water bowls (he has a thing for cat food).

First Came Caroline . . .

And then 2 1/2 years later Henry happened . . . and my life turned upside down.

I left a six-figure, highly competitive, highly frenetic job to tackle the daily grind of school runs and dinner prep. After torturing myself with preschool playdates and nap schedules, my brain began to melt.

Don't get me wrong; I've never regretted my decision to stay with the little ones. They make me laugh every day. But this blog is dedicated to keeping creativity, curiosity and learning alive in the midst of crazy home life. I love learning from other strong, intelligent & successful women ~ they are my inspiration for creating a life filled with confidence, passion & authenticity.

I will be adding posts every week covering new things I'm obsessed with, curious about, or struggling with.